I paddled Leighton Lake in Tunkwa Lake Provincial Park, then secured the boat and hiked the Leighton Lake Trail, going around the lake and along the dike between the two lakes.    The hike is about 4.4 km with some sections winding through open forest, some through a burned forest, and some through grasslands.     I enjoyed the hike, but also stopped to observe birds, insects, and wildflowers.

Always welcome at this time of year is white prairie aster (Symphyotricum falcatum).   We plan to collect some seeds or root sections this fall and propagate new plants for the borders next year.

Also shared here are pale agoseris (Agoseris glauca), smooth blue aster (Symphyotricum laeve), smooth gooseberry (Ribes hirtellum), narrow-leaved hawksbeard (Crepis tectorum), pond smartweed (Periscaria amphibia), and arumleaf arrowhead (Sagittaria cuneata).

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white prairie aster

narrow-leaved hawksbeard

smooth gooseberry

smooth blue aster

smartweed

arumleaf arrowhead